


The Poetry Contest

by karadanverz



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bad Jokes, Bethany is all of us tbh, F/M, au where nothing bad happens and nobody dies, it's one in the morning and proofreading is a thing of the past, mild profanity maybe???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-10-31 13:30:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10900335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karadanverz/pseuds/karadanverz
Summary: What happens when Theo Burr and Philip Hamilton end up butting heads in the school poetry contest that could change everything?





	1. A Prologue of Sorts

Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton weren’t always rivals. The pair had more in common than you may think. In fact, they had two children, Theodosia Burr and Philip Hamilton, who were almost the same age. But, sometimes the people who we see ourselves in, are the people we can’t stand.

Fast forward 16 years. Aaron and Alexander have kept up their petty rivalry, but they both have 2 kids. The same age. Going to the same high school. The problem is, these kids still have the same stubbornness, wit, and ambition as their fathers before them.

The two kids had grown up together. After all, the two families had lived across the street from each other. They been… acquaintances for 16 years, and they had been competing before they even knew what competition was.

It started with their fathers. “My perfect little Philip can crawl all the way across the room.” “My beautiful little Theo said her first word yesterday.” “Philip can sing his ABC’s” “Theo took her first steps yesterday” This went on until the kids were about five. That was the year they both joined the Albany Youth Soccer Team.

That’s when things started to get competitive. Between the kids that is. Both kids were constantly running up and down the field trying to steal the ball from the other. They both scored quite a few goals. The problem was, they were both supposed to be playing defense. And, youth soccer teams didn’t keep score. And as Theo and Philip had to learn the hard way, it’s against the rules to tackle in soccer. And as it turns out, parents are not supposed to yell at the referees. That was the end of youth soccer.

Three years later, one hot summer day, Theo decided she was going to start her own lemonade stand to help pay for the super cool purple and blue bike she wanted. As if purely by chance, that happened to be the same hot summer day that Philip decided to start his own lemonade stand across the street to pay for the awesome green and grey bike he wanted. So, they sold their lemonade in peace. Things were only peaceful for exactly four minutes until they realized that they were not alone in the lemonade business. Philip and Theo had a ten minute argument about who had the idea first, and that debate would have lasted a hell of a lot longer if Eliza and Theodosia hadn’t pulled them apart. The two kids continued to sell their lemonade, but kept lowering their prices to compete with one another. Eventually, they both ended up giving out free lemonade. That was the end of the lemonade stands.

Now, here we are. Theo Burr and Philip Hamilton. Rivals, just as their fathers before them. Now, they’re both sophomores at Albany High. They’re both in Mrs.Mason's AP English class, and they’re both fighting to finish the year as the sophomore valedictorian. 

“This is ridiculous” said Eliza one morning. “Tell me about it! First Alex and Aaron, now Theo and Philip?!” replied Theodosia. As much as their husbands fought, Theodosia and Eliza were great friends, and they regularly had brunch together on Thursday mornings. “We have to find a way for them to get along!” exclaimed Eliza. “Maybe if they were to work together.” mumbled Theodosia. Eliza gasped, “That’s it!” She gathered her things and stood up. “I have to go, I have a plan. See you next week!” and with that, Eliza was gone. Theodosia just smiled and shook her head. She had a feeling things were about to get… interesting.


	2. The Announcement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for reading! I'm glad you guys enjoyed the first chapter. It's finally the weekend, so expect another chapter sometime in the next two days. Your comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!

As Theo Burr walked into Mrs.Mason’s AP English class on a sunny morning in early May, she was fuming. Why? The answer was simple, Philip Hamilton. 

While Theo was reading in the school library, she was slapped in the face by a small paper triangle. She picked up the triangle and examined it. A paper football. As if it was a mystery who shot her in the face, she looked around the library to see where the projectile came from. Sure enough, two tables over from where she was sitting, was Philip Hamilton and his buddies trying to stifle their laughter and attempt look innocent all at the same time. 

Jason Madison was the first to break. His laugh turned into a high pitched squeal which resulted in a stern “Shhh!” from the library monitor. Theo had gone from surprised to furious at the sight of her rival and his fellow morons. When she finally was able to catch Philip’s gaze, she glared at him. He just flashed her an innocent-looking smile. The same smile that every adult, including her own mother, saw as charming. Theo didn’t find it charming at all. She had gathered her things and was about to go and tell him off when the bell rang signaling that her free period was over and that everyone had to get to class. 

AP English always put Theo in a good mood. Not only was it her best class, it was her favourite class and Mrs.Mason was one of her favourite teachers. In fact, even Philip Hamilton couldn’t ruin this class for her, despite the fact that he sat two seats to the left from her. 

Theo was trying to calm herself down by reading the notes she had taken the day before. Theo was a smart girl and knew that if she couldn’t learn to control her temper now, she would be in for a world of trouble later in life. 

As Theo calmed down and her fellow classmates started to trickle in, she looked to her left and noticed that Philip still hadn’t taken his seat. She took a look around the room and realized he hadn’t walked in yet. Strange. She thought to herself. Philip and her were usually the first two to get into the classroom. Granted, they were always finding a way to race each other to whatever classes they had together. Theo looked up at the clock and saw that Philip only had 27 seconds left to get to class before he was considered tardy.

As the clock kept moving, Theo was starting to get nervous. Am I seriously worrying about whether or not Philip Hamilton will get to class on time? No. If he’s late he deserves it. Meanwhile, i’ll be enjoying my spotless record. Besides, serves him right for assaulting me with a paper football. Theo looked up at the clock again. Ten seconds. Just as the bell was about to go off, Philip Hamilton slid through the doorway and into his seat, clearly relieved that he had made it. 

He smiled up at Mrs.Mason who gave him an impressed grin. He then smirked at Theo who smirked back. Mrs.Mason started her lesson, and the pair stopped focusing on each other and started focusing on the detailed PowerPoint that was now being projected onto the screen in front of them.

At the end of class, a wide smile was plastered across Mrs.Mason’s face. “Class, I have an announcement” said the teacher. Theo looked up from her notes, intrigued. Mrs.Mason continued “This year, I want to do something different, I was thinking of starting a creative writing contest!” At the word “contest” Philip and Theo looked at each other for a split second before looking back at Mrs.Mason “Now, it’s not just a creative writing contest, it’s a poetry contest” A wide smile spread across Philip’s face and it took every ounce of his self control to keep from jumping for joy. “If you are interested in signing up to compete, see me after school today, I will give you a list of rules and some more information.” And just as the teacher had finished, the bell rang and a swarm of students slowly walked out the door and into the hallway, scattering to their respective lockers.

Hmm. Poetry. Thought Theo. She had never been an amazing at poetry, but she was far from terrible. She was fairly certain she could write something great enough to win that contest. Philip was entering, no doubt about that. He was “Philip the Poet” Theo knew this may be tough, but, hey, was she really one to shy away from a little competition?


	3. A Problem and a Solution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This weekend was super productive! I don't want to make any promises, but we may get two chapters this coming week too. Don't worry, we'll get back to poetry soon.

Allison Diaz had a problem. She was the principal of Albany High School, as well as the founder of the “Albany Helping Hands Committee” or AHHC. The AHHC was a group of students who donate their time to work food drives, or help out at the local retirement center. The problem was, as the year came to a close and students had exams and colleges to worry about, nobody signed up to volunteer for the month of April. 

If Allison couldn’t come up with at least two students, she would have no choice but to cut the program altogether. She didn't want to do that. The AHHC had helped so many people in the community, and she knew how much the residents of the retirement home enjoyed the presence of the kids.

Allison paced her office, trying to think of a way to get more kids to join. She had an idea. It wasn't the best idea, but it was an idea. “Maybe instead of detention, the kids can help out the AHHC for a weekend!” She said to herself. Allison never wanted to make the AHHC seem like a punishment, but desperate times call for desperate measures. 

Just as Allison had finished writing down her idea, Pam, her secretary, peered through the doorway. “Principal Diaz, we have two students who have been sent down by Coach Mulligan. I’ve already called the parents and they said they’d be right over.”Good Grief. Thought Allison. “Send them in.” She sighed.

Pam left the room, and a few seconds later, two guilty looking sophomores shuffled in, their heads down. They took their seats in the chairs in front of Principal Diaz’s desk and looked up at her. Allison couldn’t believe her eyes. Sitting before her were Theodosia Burr and Philip Hamilton. Two honor roll students who rarely ever got in any kind of academic-related trouble.

“Care to tell me how you two ended up here” Said Principal Diaz, visibly confused. The students sat in silence for a moment not knowing who should explain the situation. “Um, well,” Theo started, she was definitely frazzled. She had never gotten sent to the office before! She’s Theo Burr! The good kid! After another moment of silence, Philip spoke up “We were running the mile in gym. We both finished in 7 minutes or so and Coach Mulligan said we were getting too competitive.” Philip took a long exhale. He wasn't used to being in the office either, and didn't really know what to do.

“Is that all?” Said the Principal, clearly still confused. Theo was able to form words again, so she spoke up this time “Well, there may have been some… light shoving as we crossed the finish line.” Allison wasn’t surprised. She knew how short Coach Mulligan’s temper could be, as well as how competitive Philip and Theo could get. She was about to send the pair on their way when she heard a knock on the office door. ‘Come in.” she said. 

Pam opened the door and poked her head through the doorway once again. “Principal Diaz, sorry to interrupt, but Mrs.Hamilton and Mrs.Prevost Burr are here.” At the mention of their mothers, Theo and Philip’s faces turned as pale as a sheet of paper, and Allison recalled Pam saying something about the parents being on their way. “Okay, you two” Said Allison. Pointing to the sophomores in front of her “Wait outside while I talk to your mothers.” Philip and Theo nodded, glad to be out of that office. “Pam, send in the parents.” Pam smiled “Right away Principal Diaz.”

A few seconds later, two women walked in and took their seats in the same chairs their children had been sitting in moments ago. Allison chuckled “It’s protocol for us to call the parents, you guys don’t need to drive over.” Allison was quite familiar with the Burrs and the Hamiltons. After all, Eliza and Theodosia are co-presidents of the PTA and are always coming into the office to discuss their childrens’ excellent grades. 

Theodosia smiled “It’s no trouble. We’re just down the road anyway.” Allison smiled, relieved that she didn’t have to deal with some snobby parents. “Apparently they got a little over competitive in Gym, Coach Mulligan lost his temper, and they ended up in here.” The parents nodded and Allison continued “I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding and it seemed that them being sent up here was punishment enough, so I was just going to send them on their way.” Eliza and Theodosia exchanged a look.

“Actually” Eliza started, “Could you maybe give them detention, or community service” Said Eliza and Theodosia nodded. If Allison thought she was confused before, this was an entirely different level. She’d had parents come in and argue their kids out of punishments, but this was something that, in her 6 years as a principal, she had never seen before. “I don’t understand, you want me to punish your kids for this?” She looked between the two women sitting in front of her waiting for an answer.

“Well, not exactly” Said Theodosia. “You see, our kids have been competing with each other forever, and we figured that if they had to work together on something, they would realize that they’re not all that different and stop this nonsensical rivalry.” Eliza explained, hoping she didn’t sound too crazy. Allison was beginning to comprehend the situation.

“Why do you need me? Can’t you just have them babysit together or something?” Theodosia replied “Well, our husbands are caught up in their own rivalry-” “And if it’s a school thing, they have no choice” Finished Allison, finally catching on. “Exactly” Said Eliza as she smiled.

Just then, Allison remembered the AHHC and it was as if a light bulb had gone off. “I have just the thing!” She exclaimed.”Philip and Theo could help out at the AHHC. We needed some volunteers, i’m sure the two would be perfect!” Eliza and Theodosia smiled, first at each other, then at Allison. “Perfect, when do they start?” Asked Theodosia, happy that Eliza’s plan was working. “At the Albany Retirement center, this Saturday from 10am to 3pm.” 

And with that, Allison shook the hands of Eliza and Theodosia and all three women left the meeting happier than when they had entered. Theodosia and Eliza’s plan was in motion and Allison was saving the AHHC. As the bell rang, Allison sat down at her desk and started an email to the Retirement Center.


	4. The Rules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another week, another chapter! Comments and Kudos are GREATLY appreciated! Thank you guys for reading and have a fantastic memorial day.

It had been a long day for Philip Hamilton. First, he and his friends were playing a game of paper football in the library, then he had “accidentally” shot Theo Burr in the face with their paper football, then, he found out that Albany HS was holding a poetry contest, and now, he is waiting outside Principal Diaz’s office all because of a misunderstanding. 

His mom had come to the office because of course she did. Philip wondered how different his life would be if they didn’t lived a block away from his high school. His thoughts were interrupted when three women walked out of the office with smiles on their faces.

“Because of this incident, for the next two Saturdays, you two will be helping out at the local retirement center” said Principal Diaz. Philip was going to protest and say that this was too big of a consequence, but he hated being in this office and figured the quickest way to get out was to stay silent. He nodded, but then remembered what Mrs.Mason had mentioned in English earlier that day.

“What about the poetry contest?” Philip asked, trying not to sound as nervous as he was. The three women exchanged a glance. “Of course the two of you will be able to participate if you wish” Replied Principal Diaz. “You two are dismissed, go back to class.” Principal Diaz said. And with that, she waved goodbye to Theodosia and Eliza and walked back into her office.

The two mothers gave their kids a look that said “We’ll talk about this at home” And then walked outside. Theo and Philip looked at each other for a few moments before walking to their respective classes. 

To Philip, the rest of the day was a blur. All he could think about was the poetry contest. He knew he cold win. His father had taught him how to write poetry, heck, people even referred to him as “Philip The Poet” After the last bell rang, Philip practically ran to Mrs.Mason’s room to get the guidelines for the contest.

When he walked in, there were about 15 people in the room. Most of the kids were either older or younger than him and the only students he recognized were Theo, of course, and Francis Jefferson. Francis had been in at least one class with Philip every year since 6th grade, yet they still barely knew each other.

Two freshmen walked into the room shortly after Philip. Then, Mrs.Mason closed the door and the room quieted down.

“So, thank you all for coming. I’m glad you guys are interested in participating in my annual poetry contest!” Started Mrs.Mason. The students smiled politely, eager to learn more. Mrs.Mason continued. “Now, this will tell you everything you need to know in terms of rules.” She handed out a yellow piece of paper marked “Rules and Guidelines” To each of the students. “You will have three weeks to write a poem, and at the end of the three weeks, you will read your poem in front of a panel of judges, as well as your friends and family. The winner will receive a trophy as well as their name mentioned in the local newspaper.” The teacher paused “Any questions?” Nobody responded. “Well, I hope to see all of you in three weeks.” Mrs.Mason smiled. “That’s all.”

All fifteen students stood up and strode out of the classroom. Some were even starting to write their entries. Philip’s mind was racing. He had so many ideas, how was he going to pick just one?

He was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear his name being called until an annoyed Theo Burr was standing in front of him. “What?” He asked, trying to get out of this conversation as fast as he possibly could. “Don’t forget, we have community service on Saturday.” whispered Theo, determined to keep her image as a good child who never get sent to the office. Philip was almost as annoyed as she was “Yeah, I know. You think I would forget?” Theo rolled her eyes “No, but I’m not going to let you blow me off.” she said crossing her arms. Philip was getting angry “What makes you think I’m going to blow you off? Even if I wanted to, my mom would kill me.” he said raising his voice. “Good.” Said Theo, and with that she walked away.

Philip was caught off guard by her sudden forfeit. Usually, their arguments and debates lasted much longer. Philip was ready for a fight. Not physically, of course. Verbally. To nobody’s surprise Theo and Philip were the champions of the Albany High debate team. Strangely enough, as much as the two argued and competed, they never underestimated the other’s intelligence. They knew this poetry competition wouldn’t be easy. The question was, who would come up victorious this time?

…………..

Mrs.Mason’s Poetry Competition Rules and Guidelines

Poem must be less than four minutes long.  
No profanity or inappropriate language  
All poems must be finalized NO LATER than the day of the contest.  
Poems may not mention the name(s) of any student(s) attending Albany High School  
Poems can be any type and do not have to rhyme.  
No plagiarism


	5. No Other Reason

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for updating so late, Sunday completely snuck up on me this week! I'm planning to write another chapter sometime this week to make up for it, so be on the lookout for that. Thank you guys for reading, as always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!

After the office visit, for Theo, the week flew by. She had spent her time thinking about what to write for the poetry contest, and it was hard. It wasn’t that she didn’t have any ideas, it was that she had too many ideas. 

Theo was still thinking about what to write when she walked into the Albany Retirement Center on Saturday morning. She opened the doors and walked inside. Just as she had thought, Philip was nowhere in sight. Nevertheless, she walked up to the 40 something woman who Theo assumed was the receptionist. 

“Hello. I’m Theodosia Burr and I’m here for community service work this morning.” Theo said, trying to make it sound that she wasn’t here due to a punishment of sorts.

“Ah, Theo!” Exclaimed the older woman as she crossed a name off of a list on a clipboard. “We’re glad to have you this morning.” 

“I’m Glad to be here!” smiled Theo, half lying. She looked at the name tag on the older woman and saw that her name was Madeleine. The receptionist, Madeleine, smiled back “For today, you will be helping out in the common room. Your job will be to assist the residents with any things they may need and talk to them a bit. They really do enjoy having you kids around.” 

“Great.” remarked Theo. This was turning out to be a great day. “One more thing” Added Madeleine as she grabbed a box from under her desk. “Put this on” Said the older woman as she handed Theo some violet medical scrubs. Theo was taken off guard by her “uniform” so to speak, but she was in no mood to argue so she took the scrubs, thanked Madeleine and went into a restroom to change. 

As Theo walked off Madeleine smiled. There was no need for any of the volunteers to wear those medical scrubs. One of the interns at the retirement center had accidentally ordered 150 pairs of violet medical scrubs instead of violet T-shirts for the staff party. Instead of just throwing them away, Madeleine had kept them and had been giving them to the high schoolers just to mess with them.

Theo had finished changing and strode over to the common room. When she walked in, she was more than surprised to see one Philip Hamilton talking to a woman in a wheelchair over by the common room’s baby grand piano. When he finished talking and noticed Theo a smirk grew on his face. As he walked over to her.

“You look ridiculous” he said when they were about 3 feet apart. “We’re wearing the same outfit” She said, trying not to show how surprised she was that he actually showed up. “Yeah, but purple’s my color” Smirked Philip as he took a step closer, turning the space between them from 3 feet, to a foot and a half and Theo’s heart started racing because she always enjoyed putting Philip in his place. No other reason. Theo was about to respond when Philip turned on his heel and walked away.

Theo was taken aback by his sudden retreat, that is until she remembered that she had dome the exact same thing to him the other day. Well played Hamilton. Well played. She thought as she wandered over to a man sitting by himself on a couch.

“Hello sir, is there anything I can do for you?” Asked Theo. The man looked at her and smiled “Don’t call me sir, it makes me sound older than I already am. Call me Greg” Theo smiled back at him “Well, hello Greg. You can call me Theo.” Greg looked confused “Theo. Like, short for Theodore?” Theo laughed “Theo. Like, short for Theodosia” She corrected him.

Greg looked at her for a long moment. “Theodosia. What a beautiful name. Theodosia was my mother’s name.” Theo looked back at him “Thank you. If you feel comfortable, would you mind telling me about her?” Theo was looking to make small talk. She knew how much her own grandfather had enjoyed talking about his past.

 

Greg looked out the window and a reminiscent grin grew across his face, as if he were reliving the happy memories. “I had a rough childhood. After all, It’s hard to be a gay black kid in the 1960s. My mother was always there for me. She loved me. Even when I didn’t love myself, she loved me. She inspired me to take chances and fight for what I believe in. I went through some rough times, but she was there by my side. My dad left when I was 13. He left because of me. He couldn’t accept the fact that he had created a homosexual little boy, so, he left. My mom gave the love of two parents. She taught me so much. She taught me how to ride a bike, how to change a tire, heck, she even taught me long division. This may sound crazy, but whenever I was sad, she would sing “Moon River” Then I’d start singing and soon enough, I’d feel better. She helped me get into college. I miss her, but I can still feel her with me. In here” Said Greg as he pointed to his heart.

Theo was getting teary eyed. “Thank you, Greg.” she commented. Theo looked around the room. Greg’s story had attracted a crowd. All of the residents that were in the common room had crowd around the couch, even Philip had been listening along. 

The woman that Philip had been talking to when Theo first walked into the common room had rolled her wheelchair over to the baby grand piano. She played a few noted before Theo had realized what was going on. The woman Philip had been talking to, Bethany, was playing Moon River.

Bethany finished the first verse when she looked over at Philip who picked up a guitar and joined in. To Theo’s surprise, Philip had an amazing singing voice. It also occurred to her that she never knew that he knew how to play guitar, as well as piano.

By the time the song stopped, Theo found that she didn’t want it to. Only because she liked piano music and the song made Greg happy. No other reason.

No other reason.


	6. Probably

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did say I was going to update sometime this week! There will also be an update this weekend (as usual). Not a lot has been happening plot-wise, but things will escalate sometime within the next 3 chapters. Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated, and I will be back in a few days!

Walking through the halls of Albany High School on Monday morning felt… different. At least, for Philip it did. Something had changed on Saturday, but he couldn’t quite place what it was.

He definitely felt good. Of course he did. He had helped out at a retirement center, and he really liked it. Philip had even made some new friends. He learned a lot from talking to them too, including the lyrics to Moon River.

Philip could sing, and he was a pretty good singer too. Sometimes he sang to the younger Hamilton children to keep them occupied while his parents were working. He never really sang in front of crowds, other than at grade school recitals and just last Saturday at the retirement center.

The crowd on Saturday really seemed to like his performance. It made Greg really happy and the residents were throwing him compliments for the rest of the morning. Even Theo seemed impressed. If not, she sure seemed to hate him… less? Philip was quickly taken away from his thoughts when he walked into Mrs.Mason’s AP English and saw something.

That something was Theo. Theo Burr. In his seat. This usually wasn’t a big deal to Philip, and he wasn’t about to make a scene about something as stupid as a seat, but it was something about the way she was looking at him, her eyebrows up in the way they are when she’s being cocky, her head tilted, and what appeared to be a trace of a smirk starting to grow on her face.

The way she was looking at him set something off inside of the pit of his stomach. Anger. Probably. He was about to say something when Mrs.Mason walked into the room and he took the first open seat he saw, which just so happened to be right next to Theo.

Great. He thought, just as the bell rang. Mrs.Mason looked at the seating arrangement, specifically at Philip and Theo next to each other, and a confused and surprised look appeared on her face. It only lasted a moment before she brushed it off and started her lesson on “a brief history of the semicolon”

To the surprise of not only Philip and Theo, but Mrs.Mason herself, nothing happened. In this case, nothing is a good thing. Philip Hamilton and Theo Burr sat next to each other and nothing happened. Mrs.Mason was slightly taken off guard, usually when Philip and Theo interacted it resulted in some sort of… debate. This time there were no reactions, no debate, just a few stolen glances that seemed less than hateful.

Class ended and the students flooded out of the classroom door as usual, but the “Nothing” didn’t last too long after that. 

As Theo was walking down the hall towards the gym, Philip quickly caught up to her and she turned around. 

“What was that about?” asked Philip. Theo looked back at him and replied “What was what about?” without missing a beat. Philip knew she was testing him because he could see a smirk trying to make it’s way through her fake-innocent facial expression.

“You stealing my seat.” Philip knew he sounded childish, but he didn’t care. Theo stepped closer to him “Does the seat have your name on it?” Now it was Philip who took half a step closer “It’s not about the seat, you sat there to piss me off. Why?”

Theo obviously wasn’t prepared for this. She didn’t really know how to respond so she took yet another step closer. Now, they were about a foot apart. “Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to upset you, I was too caught up in thinking about my poem.” That was a lie. Theo was still trying to decide on a topic. It wasn’t her greatest comeback, but it was something and all she needed was something.

Philip wasn’t prepared for this abrupt subject change, but he wasn’t about to back down either. “My poem is almost finished, and I’m fairly certain it will blow yours away.” That was a lie. The truth was, Philip hadn’t even decided what to write about. He had so many ideas, but none of them seemed good enough.

Theo was about to respond when she caught a glimpse of the clock behind Philip, and realized she had 5 minutes to get changed and get to gym. 

“We have to get to class!” She said. Philip turned around and looked at the clock. “Agreed he said before speed-walking down the hall in the opposite direction to get to his geometry class.

He got about halfway down the hallway when he stopped and turned around. “Oh, and Theo?” He said over the students in the hallway scrambling to their classes. 

When she turned around Philip grinned. “Community service on Saturday. Don’t forget” he said. And with that, he disappeared around the corner, but not before watching Theo roll her eyes and attempt to hide the small smile that growing across her face.

That feeling appeared in Philip’s stomach again. The same feeling from earlier.

Philip shrugged it off. Just anger.

Probably.


	7. Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are again! I'm going to try and write another chapter sometime this week. Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! I'll be back in a few days.

Another weekend, another Saturday morning spent volunteering at the retirement center. Theo sighed to herself as she walked up the steps, just as she had done exactly one week ago. The only difference was, this time she was actually excited to come in, and make a difference, and see Greg and Bethany. The fact that she would have to deal with Philip hadn’t even crossed her mind.

Theo had made a point of showing up to the retirement center a bit earlier than she needed to. She wasn’t about to let Philip get there before her again. 

This may seem childish, but for Philip and Theo, this was totally normal. They were always racing. Even an unspoken thing, like seeing who could show up to community service first was a race. The racing wasn’t always a bad thing, however. Because of their mutual need to be first, they both aced any timed test they were assigned.

When Theo walked through the door to the retirement center, Madeline smiled and waved to her. Just as Theo had finished signing in, Philip burst through the front door, trying his best to look as of he hadn’t just sprinted across the parking lot. 

He grinned at Madeleine who stifled a laugh and Theo walked off to change into those drab violet medical scrubs. She looked over her shoulder and playfully stuck her tongue out at Philip before disappearing around the corner. 

Philip just smiled and shook his head. He could've sworn his heartbeat sped up, but that was probably from sprinting across the huge parking lot, trying to beat Theo to the door.

When Philip eventually got changed and found his way to the common room, he realized he and Theo were the only ones there. 

Turns out, what seemed like “five minutes early” was actually 25 minutes early. All of the residents were still at breakfast. 

Philip sat down on the couch, at least three feet away from Theo, of course. He thought about things he could do to pass the time, and decided that small talk was probably his best chance of not dying of boredom.

“So… excited for the poetry contest?” He asked, facing forward, not making eye contact. “Yeah, I um, I’m revising.” lied Theo. “Cool, I’m revising too.” Replied Philip, also lying.

“What’s your poem about?” Asked Theo, trying to avoid another awkward silence. As witty as Philip could be, he was a terrible liar. “My poem? It’s about the um… What’s your poem about?” he asked, accepting defeat.

Now, it was Theo’s turn to try to come up with a believable topic for a poem. She weighed her options for a few seconds before finally sighing and deciding to tell the truth. 

“Actually, I don’t really have a topic” She muttered, hoping Philip had zoned out of the conversation. He just smirked his signature smirk and looked at her.

“Well, I don’t think I stand a chance against someone as amazing a poet as you! I mean, you can revise a topic-less poem! Please, great poem master, teach me your ways!” He said such a sarcastic and theatrical way, you’d think he was auditioning for a Broadway musical. 

(*looks into camera like on the office*)

Theo tried to be snarky and roll her eyes, but she just ended up laughing at the idiot sitting in front of her.

“In all seriousness” he said “I may not really have a topic either” mumbled Philip, breaking eye contact once again.

“Well, do you want to work together?” blurted Theo. She didn’t expect herself to say that. She hadn’t even realized she had said it aloud until Philip looked at her like she had just tried to convince him the earth was flat.

“Us. Working together?” He asked. His tone wasn’t scornful or disgusted, just, surprised. “I don’t even know why I suggested that.” Theo replied honestly. “We’d kill each other.” she continued. 

“Yeah. Well, maybe not.” Said Philip. “What do you mean?” Theo asked slowly. “We could bounce ideas off of each other. And give somewhat constructive criticism.” He answered. Theo could see some wheels turning in his head and by his facial expression, she could see that he was surprised and confused by the fact that maybe he and Theo could make a decent team.

Not a great team, not even a good team, but a decent team.

Theo was starting to get what Philip was saying “So you’re saying that maybe we could help each other but use the fact that we… dislike each other to our advantage by giving brutally honest feedback from a critical standpoint?” Said Theo, summarizing the plan.

Philip stood up “Yes. So, do we have a deal? Help each other by brainstorming and critiquing?” proposed Philip, excited that his chance of winning the poetry contest wasn’t completely down the drain. 

Theo stood up too “On one, well two, conditions. We only help each other edit. Final products are independent.” she said. Philip nodded “agreed.” Theo continued “And two, we don’t tell anyone about our… collaboration. I have an image to uphold.” Philip scoffed “I’ll have you know I also have an image to uphold. Anyway, agreed.” There was another awkward pause until Philip spoke up.

“Can we meet tomorrow at my house? I have a lot of siblings but they can provide inspiration.” Theo pretended to ponder his proposal before responding. “Agreed.” 

And with that, they attempted to do an awkward high five/fist bump/handshake type thing that ended up as a high five.

A high five that lasted a fraction of a second longer than a normal high five you would give your best friend.

Just as Philip and Theo finished their negotiation, residents began to come into the common room and greet the two teenagers. 

Some of the residents were there last Saturday, so Theo and Philip recognized them. Others were new faces. Greg and Bethany came over and asked if the pair would be interested in a chess game.

“One chess game? But there are four of us.” said Philip, confused. Greg laughed “We’re playing a version some of the residents invented called team chess. It’s like chess, but with teams of two. Theo smiled before realizing what Greg and Bethany were getting at. “Oh. And i’m assuming you two are one team?” asked Theo, indicating Bethany and Greg. 

“Yep!” Said Bethany. “Ready to play?”

Philip and Theo looked at each other reluctantly. They were supposed to help out and entertain. How bad could it be?

It was close, but Theo and Philip ended up winning the game. The impressive part was, they did it with as little interaction as possible. After they were deemed victorious, they high fived as if they didn’t… dislike each other.

Greg and Bethany smiled. “You two make a really cute couple.” Said Bethany. Smiling at the pair. Almost instantly, Theo and Philip developed identical deer-in-headlights expressions and the next words to come out of their mouths were a jumbled mix of “We’re not together” or “We just know each other from school” and “Why would we date?”

“Oh sorry guys, my bad.” Said Bethany as she wheeled herself away from the chess table and over to the couch where some of the other residents were sitting and chatting. 

Philip and Theo proceeded to walk off in opposite directions to the opposite sides of the common room and talked to some other residents.

Tomorrow is going to be a long day thought Philip.


	8. Emotion is good, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the late chapter, I was preoccupied with real-life stuff, including my WiFi shutting down. I will try to get another chapter out this week, and after that, the last few chapters should be fairly easy to write. As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!

Sunday morning came faster than expected and as Theo Burr walked down the stairs into the coatroom of the Burr household, she was already starting to regret her decision to work with Philip.

It’s not like the pair hadn’t worked together before, it’s just that every time they did, bad things happened. Theo and Philip couldn’t work together. That’s what everyone thought. That’s how it had always been and how it always will be. Right?

When she walked across the street and rang the doorbell on the suburban house identical to her own, she didn’t know what to expect. Theo heard footsteps approaching the door and she silently prayed that it was Philip so she didn’t have to awkwardly small-talk with one of his many siblings, or worse, Alexander.

Philip answered the door, his sister, Angie, peering behind him. “Come in” he said stiffly. He obviously felt as weird as Theo did.

Theo followed Philip up the stairs and into a bedroom down a small hallway. The room had a blue twin bed in the corner, assorted sports items, two beanbags, an acoustic guitar, a small piano, and a wooden desk covered in scattered papers and notebooks.

Philip closed the door so that it was only open a crack, and sat down on one of the beanbag chairs and Theo followed, sitting down on the other one. The pair sat there in silence for a few seconds before Philip spoke up.

“Okay, so I guess I’ll show you some of drafts or give you some of my ideas and we and work on constructing my poem, and then we can do the same for you. Or you can go first, doesn’t matter.” 

Theo nodded in agreement and pulled out her notebook. “We can start with you. What are some of your ideas?” she said looking up at him.

“Well, I have a ton of ideas, but none of them are good enough. Or like, deep enough. Do you know what I mean?” He said, meeting her gaze.

“Yeah, kind of. What are some of the things you’ve thought about?” Asked Theo. “Well, maybe I could write about my family? Or maybe track or baseball? Or I could do the thing where I just pick an object and write a super meta analysis type thing about that object.” He looked up at Theo, waiting for a response.

“Your problem is, you’re not passionate or particularly emotional about any of the things you just mentioned. The best poetry, or writing in general, comes from the heart. You want the audience to feel your emotion. Why do you think Taylor Swift is so popular?” at that, Philip chuckled. “Are you saying I should write a love song? About who, Ma- My um, my track team?”

Theo looked at him somewhat suspiciously before answering him “No, I’m not saying you should write a love song. I’m saying you should write about something you’re emotional, or passionate about. Like, how you felt sitting in the principal’s office.” said Theo.

“Yeah, but I don’t know that I felt passionate about any of that. I just felt scared. And angry, and confused, and worried. Not like, emotional.” 

At Philip’s response, Theo rolled her eyes. “Men.” She murmured. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Asked Philip, somewhat defensively. 

“I mean, in this day and age, men are encouraged to hide their feelings and emotions. Sometimes to a point that they don’t realize they’re… emoting.” said Theo.

“Emoting?” Philip responded, raising an eyebrow and starting to smile. Theo mimicked his expression “”you know what I mean.” she mocked, moving her face closer to his.

Before the Theo and Philip could continue their... conversation, Philip’s bedroom door flew open and the two jolting up and away from each other.

As the door flew open, Eliza stumbled in. It was as if she had been trying to stealthily eavesdrop while leaning against the door.

She looked over at the teenagers and they had identical looks on their faces. Eyebrows raised, a hint of a smirk, and they were both trying not to laugh. 

Eliza brushed the imaginary dust off her shoulders and cleared her throat. “Just checking in. Are either of you hungry?” she asked.

“Um, thanks for checking in mom. We’re fine.” Replied Philip. “Okay then. Keep up the good work. If you need anything, you know where to find me.” said Eliza, and with that, she walked out the door, making sure to return it to it’s previous state. Open just a crack.

After Philip could tell his mom was down the hallway, he started laughing and Theo quickly followed. 

They laughed together for about a minute before composing themselves. “Sorry about my family, they can be… crazy, sometimes, but I love them.” Philip looked back at Theo who was nodding understandably. 

“Maybe you could write a poem about your family!” proposed Theo. “That’s… actually a really good idea.” Responded Philip, writing a rough draft in his notebook. When he finished, he looked up at Theo and overcome with excitement, he put up his hand to high five her. Without hesitation, Theo high fived him back.  
After they realized what had happened, the pair sat in silence for a moment before Theo spoke up. “Huh.” she said. “What? Asked Philip. “Nothing, we uh, we just make a pretty good team.” She answered. “I guess we do.” said Philip. “Ready to work on your poem?” He asked.

Theo started to put her laptop and notebook back into the bag she had brought there. “Actually, I think I have an idea. I have a family thing in a half an hour anyway, so I should get going,” she said.

“Oh. What’s your idea?” Asked Philip. “I think I’ll write about my dog I had when I was 9. He died. Devastating, but emotion is good, right?” Said Theo.

“Okay then. Bye, see you tomorrow.” Said Philip as Theo walked out of his bedroom and out of the house. 

As Theo walked across the street, she tried to make sense of what she just said. She didn’t really want to write about that dog, she just needed a way out of there. 

She brushed it off. She’d find something to write about.

Or perhaps, someone to write about.


	9. A Mother Knows

On Monday morning as Philip walked through the halls of Albany high School, he couldn’t help but feel… good that he and Theo had helped each other. They certainly weren’t sworn enemies anymore, they were even kind of-sort of-maybe becoming friends? The idea of the two being less than rivals was as foreign to Philip as it was to Theo. One thing he knew for sure, was that something had changed, and maybe for the better.

Philip walked past Mrs.Mason’s classroom on the way to his locker and he realized that one thing hadn’t changed. He still didn’t have a poem. Also, the poetry contest was in two days. Yikes.

Philip racked his brain for ideas but all he could think about was his guitar and his baseball. He decided not to worry about the contest for the time being, and to just throw something together the night before. Philip had a skill that was valuable to any student: he could write an essay, paper, or poem in an hour flat, and still get an A. It was just something he could do. Not that he procrastinated often, it’s just that when he did, he wasn’t completely screwed. 

Philip up at one of the skylights in the hallway and saw that outside, it was starting to rain. Bummer. He thought.

When Philip got to his locker and opened it, a small envelope fell out. He bent over and picked it up. When he did, he saw a heart on it and smiled, knowing who the note was from. He opened the envelope and started reading

 

Hey Philip,

I really love spending time with you. You make me smile in a way no one else does. I really like you. I also really like kissing you… meet me in the science lab at lunch and we can talk. Or just be together. Ya know, I always thought secret relationships were stupid, but I am beginning to see the appeal. See you at lunch, boyfriend. 

-Makayla

 

Not only was Philip smiling, he was blushing. Philip and Makayla had been secretly dating for four weeks, and lunchtime meetups like this were common. They usually talked. Just talked. But, they kissed last week, and in Philip’s opinion, it was great. 

Philip quickly pocketed the note, grabbed his books, and headed up the stairs to Mr.Murthy’s AP Biology class. Mr.Murthy was a huge botanist. His entire classroom was covered in plants of all shapes and sizes, so every class was guaranteed to be interesting. That’s one reason, among many, that Philip was smiling as he walked up the stairs.

As he was walking up the stairs, Theo was walking down the stairs and instead of glaring at each other, they stopped and talked.

“Hey.” said Theo. “Hey.” responded Philip. “How’s your poem coming along?” Asked Theo. “Better. It’s still a work in progress, but your advice is helping. You?” Philip asked, keeping the conversation going. “Um, it’s getting there. Working together helped.” answered Theo. Philip had to get to class, so before he walked up to class, he simply said “Two days.” Theo looked up at him “Two days.” she said, and with that, she headed downstairs to photography, her elective of choice.

As Theo walked through the downstairs hallway, she passed Ms.Viddar, the science teacher. “Good morning Ms.Viddar.” said Theo. “Good morning Theo.” Replied the older woman. Theo was about to keep walking when Ms.Viddar turned around. “Oh, Theo, I almost forgot, you left your science binder in my room yesterday.” she said. Theo remembered how she been looking for it over the weekend. “No problem, I’ll swing by the science lab at lunch and grab it.” said Theo. “Sounds good. I have a meeting at lunch, but the lab will be unlocked.” replied Ms.Viddar. Theo smiled over her shoulder before turning back around, walking down the hall, and finally making it to her photography class.

\-------------------------------------------------

By the time lunch had arrived, it was raining much harder than it had been that morning, but that didn’t put Philip in a bad mood. He was excited to talk to Makayla. Something about being in a secret relationship was just so… fun. The hiding, the secrets, it was all so exciting. It was as if you were a spy, trying to keep the alibi of a single person, when in secret, you weren’t. 

The idea sounded much cooler in Philip’s head. 

When he arrived at the science lab, Makayla was there holding a bag. “Indoor rainy-day picnic?” She asked and Philip smiled and sat down next to her.

They spent fifteen minutes eating and talking about everything. Philip told Makayla about the Poetry Contest, Makayla told Philip about her dance championships, and they just sat, and talked, and ate an had a good time. 

Philip leaned in and kissed Makayla. She kissed him back and they stayed there, kissing, for about two minutes. They didn’t even hear the door open.

Philip registered what had happened and looked across the room to find a surprised (to say the least) Theo looking back at them unsure what she should do in this situation.

Makayla saw Theo and quickly left the room to get out of the awkward, tension filled mess. 

After Makayla left, Theo, clearly shocked and slightly disgusted, walked through the science lab, out the entrance to the courtyard, and into the rain, which was now pouring.  
Philip followed her out, not knowing what else to do. Theo turned back to look at him, and all at once, he could see the hurt, disgust, surprise, and anger, all in her piercing green eyes.

“What the hell was that?” asked Theo. “Makayla and I are kind of a thing.” answered Philip. “Since when do you date people like her?” Theo asked, still clearly upset. “What do you mean people like her?” Philip asked defensively. “I mean, people who don’t care about academics!” answered Theo. “Makayla cares about academics. She may not be in all AP classes, but she cares. Why are you getting so upset about this. Are you jealous or something?” 

Theo scoffed “Imagine being so egotistical that you just assume that because a girl talks to you, she must be in love with you. I’m not jealous.” said Theo. At this point, they were both getting soaked by the pouring rain.

Philip shook his head. “If you’re not jealous, why do you care who I date?” he asked. “I care because as much as I hate you, you deserve someone who can get into a college with something other than a dance scholarship.” answered Theo. 

“Jealous.” said Philip. “I’m. Not. Jealous.” responded Theo. “Then why are you getting so fired up about this?” asked Philip. “I don’t know.” Theo said honestly. “We’re back where we started. Arguing over stupid stuff.” Said Philip. “Maybe it’s better this way.” replied Theo, tears forming in her eyes. Philip scoffed “And to think, we were actually friends for day and a half.” Theo looked at Philip and shook her head, “We have never been friends and we never will be. Goodbye, Hamilton.” said Theo, her voice cracking. 

As she walked back into the building, Philip stayed outside. He looked at the wall and thought about what had just happened. “Burr.” he mumbled, before realizing that it had been raining the entire time he had been outside and he was now soaking wet. He went in through the door to the cafeteria and attempted to dry himself with napkins before the bell rang and he headed to his locker.

\-------------------------

That evening, Philip was sitting at the desk in his room, moping, when Eliza came in with a basket of laundry. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked when she saw her son’s face. Philip sighed. “Theo and I got into a fight about something stupid.” he said, looking up. Eliza looked confused “aren't you two always fighting about stupid stuff?” asked Eliza. “Yeah, but this time it was different. We’re kind of friends, well, not anymore, and this fight wasn’t a petty fight.” said Philip. Eliza pretended to look surprised “What do you mean you were friends?” she asked gently. “Well, we weren’t fighting as much, we actually talked to each other, and you saw us on Sunday, we were helping each other for the contest. We actually made a pretty good team.”

Eliza nodded. “So, how was this fight different again?” she questioned. “This fight was different because we’re friends-ish now, and we sort of care about each other.” answered Philip. Eliza smiled knowingly. “I think it’s more than that, honey.” she said. “What do you mean?” asked Philip somewhat defensively. Eliza just sighed “We knew it was bound to happen someday.” she replied. “Knew what was going to happen?” asked Philip. He was eager to know what his mother had to say. Eliza met her son’s gaze “You love her.” she said quietly.

Philip’s eyes grew wide and his face turned bright red.He opened his mouth to object but Eliza just raised her eyebrows and he knew she was right. Philip sighed “How do I fix this?” he asked his mother. 

Eliza looked back at her son. “I don’t know. But, I know you and I know you’ll think of something.” Thanks, said Philip, and he hugged her. Eliza stood up, picked grabbed her laundry basket and headed to the door of Philip’s bedroom before turning around to face her son.

“Oh, and by the way, you should probably break things off with Makayla before you try to fix anything.” For the third time that day, Philip’s face turned a bright shade of red. “How did you know about that?” He asked. Eliza just smiled “A mother knows.” she said before turning around and heading out the door and into the Hamilton hallway.

Philip pulled his phone out of his pocket and texted Makayla.

Philip: Hey. Sorry about everything.

Mak: It’s fine. Sometimes things don’t work out.

Philip: Yeah. I have to tell you something. Can we meet up?

Mak: No need. I think I know what this is about.

Phillip: Really?

Mak: You like Theo and you want to break up with me.

Philip: I’m so sorry. How did you know?

Mak: In the science lab today, I went into the hall, she went outside. You went after her.

Phillip: I’m so sorry. Are you mad?

Mak: I’m not mad. It’s okay. I’d rather the two of you be happy.

Philip: Thank you for being so cool about this.  
Mak: No problem. Oh, one more thing!

Philip: What?

Mak: Go get the girl! :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I estimate about two chapters left, so be sure to stuck around for the dramatic conclusion (jk). As always, comments and kudos are GREATLY appreciated! Also, it's 1:30 in the morning so any grammar errors of continuity errors will be fixed in the morning.
> 
> Check me out on tumblr @mrs-riarkle-sanvers


	10. Called It!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the reason I wrote this fic. It's so fluffy that I started fangirling while writing it. There's still one more chapter, so tune in next week for the shocking conclusion! As always, comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!

 

It had been two days. Two days since the fight, two days since Philip had that conversation with his mom, and two days since Philip and Theo had stopped talking to each other.

 

Theo was still upset. Or, confused, or whatever she was, and Philip wasn’t talking to her because, what could he say? He knew Theo well enough to know that she could be just as stubborn as he was. To make things right again between the two of them, he would have to work for it, which is why he had been working on something that would hopefully fix things.

 

Also, it just so happened to be the day of Mrs.Mason’s poetry contest. Yes, THAT poetry contest, THE poetry contest. Yikes. 

 

Philip was nervous for multiple reasons when he walked into the Gym on Wednesday after school. He looked around and saw a stage with a microphone, a table with the judges, and family members as well as friends starting to fill in the folding chairs facing the stage. 

 

He looked over and saw all of the contestants sitting in the front row of chairs in the audience, so he took a seat next to Francis. Philip looked at some of the other contestants who were reading and re-reading their poems. He still had some time before the contest started, so he texted Makayla to make sure everything was in place.

 

**Philip: Is everything set up?**

 

**Mak: Yep, you’re good to go!**

 

**Philip: You’re the best.**

 

**Mak: I know I am. Now, focus and remember, stay calm.**

 

**Philip: Thank you!!!!!!! And thanks again for being so cool about this.**

 

**Mak: Don’t mention it. You and Theo are an OTP.**

 

**Philip: A what?**

 

**Mak: Nvm. Just stay calm and stick to the plan**

 

**Philip: Got it.**

 

As Philip put his phone back in his pocket and turned around to look at the audience. He saw his family first, they were easy to spot because his parents and many siblings almost took up an entire row. Next, he saw Theo’s family. They were only sitting a few rows down from his own family. He then noticed that Greg, Bethany, and Madeleine from the retirement center were sitting in the very top row of chairs. When he saw them, he waved and they waved back.

  
  


Philip turned back around to face forward and noticed that Theo had walked in and was walking to the nearest empty seat. When she walked by Philip, he stood up to face her. 

 

“Greg and Bethany from the retirement center are here.” he said. “That’s cool.” she answered and walked past him to the end of the row and took her seat. There was some scattered noise and talking throughout the auditorium while everyone waited for the contest to start. 

 

Mrs.Mason walked across the stage to the microphone “Hello everyone and welcome to Albany High School’s 4th annual poetry contest!” she said, and the crowd cheered and clapped. She continued “I will call up the contestants in alphabetical order by last name to read their poems. The poems will be judged by our panel of judges; Principal Diaz, Mr.Murthy, Ms.Viddar, and myself. At the end of the competition, I will announce a winner. Simple enough, right?” Mrs.Mason paused as a teenage boy ran across the stage and handed her a slip of paper. Mrs.Mason cleared her throat and read what the slip said “and will the owner of a black, 2017 Toyota Corolla please move their car out of the bus lane?” The audience laughed and a middle-aged man stood up and walked out of the gym. 

 

When the noise died down Mrs.Mason continued “I would like to wish the contestants good luck, and without further ado, let's start the contest! Please welcome our first contestant, Theo Burr, to the microphone!”

 

When Theo heard her name, she mentally panicked. Heck, she’d been mentally panicking since Mrs.Mason said “alphabetical order”. Theo had written her poem two days ago in a fit of… emotions. The other contestants have spent weeks working and polishing their poems, but Theo calmly stood up and made her way onto the stage and up to the microphone. She may have been a nervous wreck, but that didn’t mean she looked any less confident.

 

She came up to the microphone, took a deep breath, and started reading.

  
  


_ Constants. _

 

_ There are some things that stay constant your entire life. _

_ Whether it’s your parents always being there for you, _

_ Or the fact that you’ll never forget how to ride a bike. _

_ Some things are constant, and will never change.  _

 

_ But what about the bad constants? _

_ The things that will stay the same, but for the worse? _

_ Whether it’s government corruption, _

_ Or a lifelong enemy. _

_ Bad constants can be a painful disruption. _

 

_ But the worst thing, by far about a bad constant, _

_ Is when you think it is no longer a constant. _

 

_ That brief moment of bliss you feel, _

_ When something starts to change for the better, _

_ Only to have that taken away in an instant _

 

_ And replaced with heartbreak, _

_ Over the realization that some things, _

_ Will never change. _

 

_ Constants. _

 

When she finished reading, she looked up at the audience and they applauded. She suddenly felt better about not only her poem, but her chances of winning. She took a bow, then walked off the stage and sat back down.

 

Philip on the other hand, felt bad. He knew that Theo’s poem was about what happened, and it hurt. He felt like a jerk for assuming that her poem was about him, but what else could it be about. Hopefully his plan to make things up to her worked. 

 

3 more contestants went up and read their poems, and before he knew it, it was Philip’s turn. As he walked up, his hands were shaking, but he knew that there was no backing down now. 

 

He made his way to the microphone, but paused and walked over to the side of the stage and grabbed the guitar that Makayla had planted for him earlier that day.

 

He walked back up to the microphone, this time with his prop, and started singing, yes, singing, his...poem.

 

_ Dear Theodosia _

_ What to say to you? _

_ Your dark brown eyes, _

_ And Theo is your name _

_ They said it’d happen soon enough  _

_ It did you stole my heart _

 

_ I’d dedicate every day to you _

_ Falling in love, has never been my style, _

_ When you smile, _

_ You knock me out I fall apart, _

_ And you know we’re both so smart. _

 

_ This may come off as a ridiculous flirtation _

_ But i’d surely fight for you. _

_ I’d talk all night with you _

_ This may sound like some cliche declaration _

_ But i’d gladly lose to you, _

_ I’d give the world to you, ‘cause you’ve blown me away. _

 

_ Nothing left to say. _

_ ‘Cause Theo, you’ve blown me away. _

 

After finally strumming the last note, he looked up at the audience. He saw That Theo was no longer in her chair. SHe had gotten up and left during the song.

 

There was clapping, but the audience seemed confused, and the judges also seemed confused. Nevertheless, it was a good poem.

 

Philip realized that that had actually just happened, and Theo had left without explanation. He saw no other option, so he took a bow and got off the stage, but instead of taking a seat, he walked straight out of the gym, just as Theo had moments earlier.

 

The audience, however, was still clapping. Just, even more confused as to what they just witnessed. As the clapping started to die down, nobody was saying anything. 

 

A voice from the back row of chairs broke the awkward clapping induced silence.

 

“Called it!” said Bethany from the back row, just loud enough for people in the front row to hear.


	11. Hand in Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for sticking with me throughout this fic! sadly, The Poetry Contest has come to an end, but if you guys want me to write other stuff for this pairing, feel free to prompt me! As always, comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated. Also, fun fact: Bethany's iconic line from chapter 10 came to me at 1am and I just had to write it down! anyways, thank you guys and I hope you enjoy the shocking conclusion!

Philip ran down the hallway outside of the auditorium, he was looking for Theo. He didn’t really know what he was going to say when he found her, but he’s cross that bridge when he got there.

He saw that the door to Mrs.mason’s classroom was open and he slowly walked inside. He saw Theo sitting on Mrs.Mason’s desk, looking back at him.

Philip figured that he had to say something “Hey, I’m sorry, that was a dumb idea, that probably was embarrassing, and I’m sorry, but everything I said was true and I don’t know how much you heard but I love you and not in a friend way or like a sisterly way, but like, in a romantic way, and i’m sorry, and if you never want to see me again, I understand and i’ll respect that and i’m sorry.”

When Philip finally finished his word-vomit, he looked up and saw that Theo was smiling, and not a smirk, not a sarcastic grin, but a real smile, and Philip thought it was beautiful. Theo spoke up and broke the silence “That may have been the cutest thing a guy has ever done for me.”

Philip smiled “So you liked the song?” he asked Theo laughed “I was going to say it was cute how you threw the contest for me, but the song was amazing too.” she answered.

“I did not throw the contest! Songs are a form of poetry, and that poem was great!” he said playfully. “Actually, you broke one of the contest rules. You’re not allowed to specifically mention people in your poem. Therefore, you are disqualified.” If Theo had said that a month earlier, the conversation would have turned into a fight. This time, Philip just grabbed Theo’s hand “Well, then let’s go back into that gym and watch you get that first place trophy.” he said, and with that, they walked out of the classroom.

Once they made their way back to the gym, they took their seats. One of the contestants was still reading her poem, so the room audience was quiet, but the rows of chairs looked like a silent movie.

Makayla and some of the Albany High students were trying to signal either Philip or Theo to try and get an idea as to what happened, Alexander was confused and slightly miffed that his son threw the poetry contest for a girl while Aaron was trying to figure out why Alexander Hamilton’s son just sang a song about his daughter. As for Theodosia and Eliza, they were calmly listening to the poems, oblivious to the chaos ensuing around the two of them.

The girl who was reciting her poem finished, took a bow, and walked off of the stage, just as Mrs.Mason was walking up to the microphone to announce the results of the contest.

“I hope you have enjoyed listening to the great poetry that we have had this afternoon! Now it is time to announce the winner of the contest, but before we do, I want all of the contestants to know that each and every one of the poems was special and amazing in it's own way, but there was one specific poem that really stood out. The winner of the 4th annual Albany High poetry contest is… Francis Jefferson!” The crowd applauded, but the Hamilton and Burr families were equally shocked that their child didn’t win.

Francis walked up to the stage and received his trophy as Mrs.mason continued speaking “Francis’ poem was touching, and the audience could really visualize and feel the words. Will you please read the poem one last time before we all go?” she asked. Francis smiled and nodded, then cleared his throat as he started to read his poem again.

_It has been said that when someone looks at artwork,_

_Their focal point becomes the middle of the work._

_The flashy beautified, centerpiece,_

_The Princess in the Purple tutu,_

_Whose job is to look perfect._

_And the centerpiece fulfills that job._

_But for me, I could care less about the Princess in purple._

_Instead, I found myself mesmerized by an object off to the left side._

_Who doesn’t have the flashy lights, or the bells and whistles,_

_But is absolutely perfect in her own way._

_The Goddess in the Blue leotard._

_Once she has enchanted you, there is no looking back,_

_For you are in awe of the perfection, And the beauty,_

_That comes with every step, every turn, every bend._

_It’s amazing. You can see how hard she has worked._

_You can see the effort put into the perfection, But somehow,_

_At the same time, Watching her gives you a sense of calm_

_She is telling you that everything will be okay. And you believe it._

_Because no matter how bad things get, The Goddess in The Blue Leotard makes it all okay_

_And you love her for it. But, she is made to be hidden._

_Made to be in the shadow,_

_Made to be discovered by a wandering eye,_

_And if you happen to discover the beauty,_

_You may just be the luckiest person in the world._

Francis took a bow and the audience clapped as they started to get out of their chairs and exit the gym.

Theo and Philip stood up. “Good game.” said Theo offering a handshake to Philip. He smiled and instead of accepting the handshake, he wrapped her into a hug and she accepted. Back by the gym exit, Theodosia nudged Eliza and directed her attention to Philip and Theo hugging. “Looks like our plan worked a little too well.” said Theodosia and Eliza laughed. “I guess it did. They definitely don’t hate each other anymore, that’s for sure.” she said, and the two women exited the gym to catch up with their families.

The hug between Philip and Theo lasted longer than it should have, but it was okay. When they finally broke apart, Philip spoke up “It stinks that neither of us won.” He said. Theo smiled (smiling seemed to be a big thing for Theo today) “Aren’t we the real winners here?” She asked and Philip answered by pressing a quick, soft, kiss to her lips, before they walked out of the gym together.

Hand in hand.

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written for this particular pairing before, but I started reading one fic and I've become obsessed. Please, be sure to comment with any questions, feedback, or suggestions. I'll try to update every Sunday, but may end up updating this a few times a week! Thanks for reading!


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